Multiple‐pathways of carbon dioxide binding by a Lewis acid [B(C6F5)3] and a lewis base [P(tBu)3]: The energy landscape perspective

Using the reaction‐relevant two‐dimensional potential energy surface, an accurate reaction‐pathway mapping and ab inito molecular dynamics, it is shown that CO₂ capture by P(tBu)₃ and B(C₆F₅)₃ species has many nearly degenerate reaction‐routes to take. The explanation of that is in the topography of the transition state (saddle) area. An ensemble of asynchronous reaction‐routes of CO₂ binding is described in fine detail. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Sensitivity analysis and uncertainty calculation for dispersion corrected density functional theory

The precision of binding energies and distances computed with dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D) is investigated by propagation of uncertainties, yielding relative uncertainties of several percent. Sensitivity analysis is used to calculate the geometry-dependent relative importance of each input parameter for the dispersion correction. While DFT-Ds are exact at asymptotically large distances, their damping functions are shown to play a significant role in binding geometries. This is demonstrated in detail for the interlayer binding of graphite. The techniques presented allow practitioners to quickly compute error bars and to get an a posteriori estimate about the transferability of their results. They can also aid the development of future dispersion corrections.     

Iterative solution of some nonlinear differential equations

We propose an iterative method to solve some non-linear ordinary differential equations. Comparing on the Mathieu, van der Pol and Hill equation of fourth order, we see that this method is much more efficient than the well known methods by Lyapunov or Picard.     

Steric crowding can stabilize a labile molecule: solving the hexaphenylethane riddle

12 not so angry men: Hexaphenylethane is unstable, a phenomenon traditionally attributed to steric repulsion between the six phenyl rings. However, adding 12 bulky tert-butyl groups, one to each of the 12 meta positions, gives a stabile ethane derivative (see space-filling model and potential energy curve for the dissociation of the central C-C bond). This unexpected stabilization is shown to result from attractive dispersion interactions between the substituents.     

Linear instability of ultra-thin liquid films flowing down cylindrical fibre

The stability characteristics of an ultra-thin layer of a viscous liquid flowing down a cylindrical fibre are investigated by a linear theory. The film with the thickness less than 100 nm is driven by an external force and under the influence of the van der Waals forces. The results show that, when the relative film thickness decreases, the curvature of the fibre depresses the development of the linear perturbations, whereas the van der Waals forces promote the instabilities. This competition results in a non-monotonous dependence of the growth rate on the relative film thickness. The critical curves are also obtained to describe the transition from the absolute instability to the convective instability, indicating that the van der Waals forces can enlarge the absolutely unstable region. Furthermore, the surface tension can cause the development of the absolute instability, whereas the external force has an opposite effect.     

Collision efficiency of two nanoparticles with different diameters in Brownian coagulation

The collision efficiency of two nanoparticles with different diameters in the Brownian coagulation is investigated. The collision equations are solved to obtain the collision efficiency for the dioctyl phthalate nanoparticle with the diameter changing from 100 nm to 750 nm in the presence of the van der Waals force and the elastic deformation force. It is found that the collision efficiency decreases as a whole with the increase of both the particle diameter and the radius ratio of two particles. There exists an abrupt increase in the collision efficiency when the particle diameter is equal to 550 nm. Finally, a new expression is presented for the collision efficiency of two nanoparticles with different diameters.     

A high level computational study of the CH4/CF4 dimer: how does it compare with the CH4/CH4 and CF4/CF4 dimers?

The interaction within the methane–methane (CH₄/CH₄), perfluoromethane–perfluoromethane (CF₄/CF₄) methane–perfluoromethane dimers (CH₄/CF₄) was calculated using the Hartree–Fock (HF) method, multiple orders of Møller–Plesset perturbation theory [MP2, MP3, MP4(DQ), MP4(SDQ), MP4(SDTQ)], and coupled cluster theory [CCSD, CCSD(T)], as well as the PW91, B97D, and M06-2X density functional theory (DFT) functionals. The basis sets of Dunning and coworkers (aug-cc-pVxZ, x?=?D, T, Q), Krishnan and coworkers [6-311++G(d,p), 6-311++G(2d,2p)], and Tsuzuki and coworkers [aug(df, pd)-6-311G(d,p)] were used. Basis set superposition error (BSSE) was corrected via the counterpoise method in all cases. Interaction energies obtained with the MP2 method do not fit with the experimental finding that the methane–perfluoromethane system phase separates at 94.5?K. It was not until the CCSD(T) method was considered that the interaction energy of the methane–perfluoromethane dimer (?0.69?kcal?mol^?1) was found to be intermediate between the methane (?0.51?kcal?mol^?1) and perfluoromethane (?0.78?kcal?mol^?1) dimers. This suggests that a perfluoromethane molecule interacts preferentially with another perfluoromethane (by about 0.09?kcal?mol^?1) than with a methane molecule. At temperatures much lower than the CH₄/CF₄ critical solution temperature of 94.5?K, this energy difference becomes significant and leads perfluoromethane molecules to associate with themselves, forming a phase separation. The DFT functionals yielded erratic results for the three dimers. Further development of DFT is needed in order to model dispersion interactions in hydrocarbon/perfluorocarbon systems.     

Probabilistic derivation of van der Waals' equation

A probabilistic derivation of van der Waals' equation is given where the non-ideal contributions to the entropy coincide with the log-likelihood ratios, at their maxima, of the binomial distribution and the upper or lower bounds on the hypergeometric and Pólya distributions. The hypergeometric distribution accounts for the repulsive interactions of a hard sphere gas while the Pólya distribution accounts for the attractive interactions.1. Work supported in part by contributions from the Ministry of Public Education (M.P.I.) and the National Science Council (C.N.R.).     

Buckling instabilities in coupled nano-layers

We study the dynamic buckling of a pair of dissimilar Euler-Bernoulli beams subject to compressive edge loading whose transverse displacements are coupled through non-linear interactions, a problem motivated by the mechanics of graphene layers. The transverse coupling models van der Waals interaction and is derived from a Lennard-Jones 12-6 potential. The beams are assumed to be a fixed distance apart at their ends, although this distance is not necessarily equal to the equilibrium distance as identified from the Lennard-Jones potential. Therefore, the equilibrium configuration is not necessarily straight. Via a Galerkin method, the governing equations are reduced to a system that can be used to calculate equilibrium configurations as well as the stability of these configurations. We show that the buckling instability in this model is significantly affected by the presence of the interaction force as well as the separation of the graphene layers at the boundaries.